DALLAS, TEXAS – Mike Rawlings announced plans today to endorse candidates Elizabeth Jones (District 1), Dan Micciche (District 3), and Bernadette Nutall (District 9) for the 2012 Dallas ISD school board elections.

“These three candidates represent exactly the kind of high-caliber leaders we need on the Dallas ISD school board,” said Rawlings. “Improving our public education system is the most important thing we can do as a community to ensure the vitality of our city in the future. The Board of Trustees has recently been able to pass several progressive reforms that will result in higher educational outcomes for our kids, but we still have a long way to go, and we need courageous leaders that are willing to continue to push the district forward. It’s clear to me that Dan, Elizabeth and Trustee Nutall are all focused on doing what is best for our children, and that each of them have the experience and skills necessary to be successful. There are 157,000 students in this city counting on us to get it right. I am confident these three leaders will be a part of fulfilling that promise to our kids.”

Rawlings’ endorsements come just less than three weeks before the highly-contested May 12th elections.

“Dallas is incredibly fortunate to have community leaders like Mike Rawlings who recognize that every citizen has a role to play when it comes to the success of our public education system,” said EducateDallas Co-Chairman Mark Melton. “The community in general, and the diverse communities within it, are demanding a new era of public education based on accountability, transparency and decision-making that puts the interests of kids over those of adults. It will take extraordinary leadership to attain the results that we owe to our city’s children, and Mr. Rawlings’ invaluable endorsement speaks volumes about the quality of leadership these three candidates embody.”

The gravity of this year’s school board elections has been evidenced by the large number of important endorsements received among the field of candidates. “There is great interest in these elections, and many organizations, private citizens and public officials are taking courageous stances with regard to school board candidates,” said incoming EducateDallas Chairwoman Jill Louis.

Candidates Micciche and Jones, as well as Trustee Nutall, have also been endorsed by numerous other organizations and individuals over the last few weeks. “In addition to Rawlings’ endorsement, we have also been excited to see such a large consensus of important endorsements coalesce around our three endorsed candidates. It’s great to see Dallas rally behind a common cause and support great leadership for our school district,” said Louis.

Rawlings is expected to make a formal announcement tonight at an EducateDallas “Meet the Candidates” event.

EducateDallas

PRESS RELEASE

Date: April 23, 2012

Contact: Trisha Windham

Direct Line: (682) 429-3127

twindham@educatedallas.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, visit the EducateDallas website at

 www.EducateDallas.org, or contact Trisha Windham at twindham@educatedallas.org

 About EducateDallas

EducateDallas is a non-partisan general-purpose political committee dedicated to the mission of working to support and elect high-quality candidates to the Dallas ISD board of trustees. The Board of Advisors for EducateDallas is comprised of a diverse group of citizens from across the city of Dallas who insist on improving public education for all of our children.

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